Higher temperatures makes Zika mosquito spread disease more

WASHINGTON - The mosquito behind the Zika virus seems to operate like a heat-driven missile of disease. Scientists say the hotter it gets, the better the mosquito that carries Zika virus is at transmitting a variety of dangerous illnesses.

Although it's too early to say for this outbreak, past outbreaks of similar diseases involved more than just biology. In the past, weather has played a key role, as have economics, human travel, air conditioning and mosquito control. Even El Nino sneaks into the game.

Scientists say you can't just blame one thing for an outbreak and caution that it is too early to link this one to climate change or any single weather event.

The hotspots for this Zika outbreak also have been temperature and drought hotspots recently.